By Oluwatosin John

At last, the long awaited remodelling of Ifako Mini Stadium is coming to fruition, we say a ‘big kudos’ to Hon. Adewale Temitope Adedeji, OON, member representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency I at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The Ifako Mini Stadium is the only sporting facility that serves over one million residents of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government and environs including several youths in neighbouring communities in Ogun State. Since its demolition and approval for renovation, standard sporting activities had been put to halt.

The development and growing impact of the Ifako Mini Stadium is now being widely recognised as a significant step toward advancing grassroots sports and youth empowerment within the community.

Facilitated by Hon. Adewale and constructed by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the modern sporting facility is designed to provide accessible and functional infrastructure for recreational and competitive activities. It will also serve as a hub for youth engagement, talent discovery, and community development.

The initiative, according to residents who would benefit from it, reflects a broader commitment to addressing the challenges faced by young people, particularly the lack of structured recreational spaces and opportunities for personal growth.

The stadium features a beautiful standard football pitch, spectator seating area, floodlighting for evening activities as well as essential amenities such as world class changing rooms, restrooms, and administrative spaces. These features position the complex as a suitable venue for tournaments, training programmes and community events.

For emphasis and the purpose of appreciation, it is noted again that central to the success and visibility of this initiative is Hon. Temitope Adewale, a son of Ifako-Ijaiye whose continued commitment to youth development and community advancement has been instrumental in promoting projects that directly impact the lives of residents in the area.

This lawmaker’s dedication underscores the importance of leadership that prioritizes sustainable development through investments in young people and community infrastructure. His education initiatives have catapulted Ifako-Ijaiye from the bottom to the top.

“The Ifako Mini Stadium represents more than just a place for sports—it is a foundation for opportunity, growth, and the future of our youth,” Mr. Johnson Oredolu, a community representative, said about the facility and he is right.

Before now, sporting activities in the constituency and its neighbourhood had been reduced to streets and school compounds leaving no room for professional experiences and exposures to expert connections. The youth are now excitedly optimistic believing that these challenges will become ‘a thing of the past’.

The Ifako Mini Stadium will surely create opportunities for local coaches, sports organisers, and small businesses to benefit from activities hosted at the venue.

Residents and observers note that the stadium has the potential to serve as a pipeline for discovering and nurturing future professional athletes while also strengthening community ties through regular sporting and social events.

As Lagos State continues to expand its investment in grassroots sports infrastructure, the Ifako Mini Stadium stands out as a model of how targeted initiatives can drive meaningful change at the community level.

With sustained support, effective management, and active community participation, the facility is expected to remain a cornerstone for youth empowerment and sports development in Ifako-Ijaiye for years to come. The long awaited JAHrity Cup, a novel football competition to combine sports and charity will be unveiled soon at the stadium.

The enormous value of this infrastructure will remain unquantifiable as it will attract sports enthusiasts from around the state and beyond to experience classical games at a standard-class facility, thus putting Ifako-Ijaiye in the spotlight as a destination for sports lovers.

With the continued efforts of this worthy legislator, our own Hon. Adewale Temitope Adedeji, OON, the future of sports in Ifako-Ijaiye can only be more experienced than imagined.

In a significant diplomatic endorsement, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Hajiya Amina Mohammed, on Thursday visited Governor Dauda Lawal in Gusau, Zamfara State, where the governor formally presented his administration’s comprehensive development blueprint aimed at rebuilding the state after years of banditry, economic instability, and governance deficit.

The visit, which lasted several hours, included closed-door talks at the Government House, a brief tour of ongoing infrastructure projects, and a joint press appearance. It marks the highest-level UN visit to the North-Western state in nearly a decade.

Speaking to reporters afterward, the UN Deputy Secretary-General commended Governor Lawal for what she called tangible progress in opening up Zamfara, noting that he had made the state more accessible not just in terms of roads but by creating an enabling environment for investors and development partners. She highlighted ongoing administrative reforms, including the digitization of revenue collection and steps to strengthen the civil service, as encouraging signs that Zamfara is moving toward greater stability, economic growth, and sustainable development.

Her remarks were particularly notable given the state’s recent history, as large parts of Zamfara were until last year no-go zones for international agencies due to banditry, kidnappings, and poor road networks.

During the meeting, Governor Lawal presented a 97-page document titled the Zamfara State Development Plan 2024 to 2028, which his aides have called the “Zamfara Rising” blueprint. The plan is built on four pillars: security and rule of law; economic revival focusing on agriculture and mining reforms; human capital development including rebuilding schools and health centers; and infrastructure with an emphasis on rural roads and digital access.

Governor Lawal said the document is not just a policy paper but a covenant with the people of Zamfara and an open invitation to the world. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working with international partners, including the United Nations, to promote development, improve livelihoods, and attract more investment opportunities, adding that the state has moved from survival mode to development mode. Governor Lawal, a former banker who took office in May 2023, inherited a state that the World Bank had ranked among Nigeria’s poorest and least resilient, with his predecessor’s tenure marked by accusations of mismanagement and failed amnesty deals with bandits.

While security remains the greatest challenge and critics note that rural communities still face sporadic attacks, the UN Deputy Secretary-General’s visit signals cautious optimism. She revealed that the UN system will deploy a technical team to Gusau within 30 days to align the state’s development plan with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Nigeria, and she hinted at a possible high-level donors’ conference for Zamfara later in 2026 that could attract funding from the World Bank, African Development Bank, and European Union.

The Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) has awarded Governor Dauda Lawal the Infrastructure Governor of the Year honour for his administration’s giant strides in the Urban Renewal project across Zamfara.

The governor received the award at the second edition of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) held at the NAF conference centre, Abuja.

A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, revealed that the BON acknowledged Zamfara state’s unprecedented and transformative achievements in infrastructure, recognising excellence beyond the broadcasting industry.

He added that Governors Bassey Otu of Cross River and Uba Sani of Kaduna, the minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, along with John Momoh, Shyngle Wigwe, Abubakar Jijiwa, and Sa’a Ibrahim, were among the prominent Nigerians honoured at the 2026 Nigeria Broadcasting Awards.

The statement read in parts, “The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, an umbrella body for public and private broadcasters in Nigeria, was established in 1973 to promote the interests of the broadcasting industry and ensure high standards in media practices.

“The organisation conducted a thorough months-long selection process aimed at recognising professional excellence and raising standards for media practice across Nigeria.

“The Awards Selection Committee was chaired by Dr Danladi Bako, former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). The awards panel included veterans and representatives from the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and the NBC.

“The selection committee cited numerous reasons for awarding Governor Dauda Lawal, notably his significant progress across sectors, particularly for transforming Gusau into a modern State Capital.

“Zamfara has witnessed unprecedented achievements under Governor Dauda Lawal, including the historic construction of a modern International Airport in the State.

“Apart from urban renewal projects, as well as the construction and outfitting of General Hospitals, Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration has built, refurbished, and equipped over 800 schools across the 14 local government areas of the State.

“This recognition by the highest broadcasting authority in Nigeria will motivate the governor to dedicate more effort to his mission to serve and rebuild Zamfara state.”